What a whirlwind week it was for Mel Gibson! He was supposed to fly to Thailand and film for one day, all for his “comeback cameo” in The Hangover 2. Some people involved in the film revolted, however, and Mel was dumped from the project just a few days after his casting was announced. Now, People Magazine confirms that Liam Neeson stepped into the cameo part, and that he flew to Thailand on Thursday. Liam worked with Bradley Cooper on The A-Team, and my guess is that Liam and B. Coop got along very well, and Bradley suggested his friend for the role.
How do you cure a hangover? Call in the A–Team.
Liam Neeson is now doing a cameo in The Hangover 2 after Mel Gibson’s appearance got canceled due to complaints by cast and crew. Neeson was invited by his A-Team costar Bradley Cooper, who’s also in the Hangover sequel.
“I just got a call to do a one-day shoot on Hangover 2 as a tattooist in Thailand, and that’s all I know about it,” Neeson tells Daily Variety. “I just laughed my leg off when I saw The Hangover, I was shooting in Berlin earlier this year and rented it on the hotel TV.”
Neeson left his New York home on Thursday for the Hangover 2 set.
[From People]
That’s nice that Liam was called in and could do it on the fly. I mean… it’s Liam Neeson! Why wasn’t the first choice? Also, Us Weekly had an “exclusive” story about what really went down behind the scenes on set when Mel’s name was mentioned for the part:
Sounds like Mel Gibson’s cancelled cameo on The Hangover 2 was doomed from the start. It’s been widely speculated that Zach Galifianakis was solely responsible for Gibson getting the axe from the sequel, after the actor admitted earlier this month he was “in a deep protest right now with a movie I’m working on.”
But an insider close to the production says that all of the film’s stars — including Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms — objected to the stunt casting.
“They barely began shooting when [Gibson] was dumped on them,” the source tells UsMagazine.com. “It was met with a collective ‘oh hell no.'”
Director Todd Phillips and the film studio tried to “appease” the cast and make it into a “positive,” but to no avail. “This dampened all of the production,” the insider says. “None of the cast, Bradley, Zach, Ed, no one was pleased and it was evident.”
The source adds that their objection wasn’t just to Gibson’s controversial reputation, tarnished more than ever over his vicious battle with ex Oksana Grigorieva.
“They don’t want him to be in the movie and serve as a platform for some creepy comeback,” the insider tells Us. “They didn’t want that energy or to shoulder what would come with having him apart of the film.”
“The entire cast and crew pretty much stood in solidarity and made it very clear: no. It took awhile, but it happened,” the source says.
“I thought Mel would have been great in the movie,” director Phillips mused to The Wrap on Thursday. “But I realize filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and this decision ultimately did not have the full support of my entire cast and crew.”
[From Us Weekly]
I hope this is true, just because I want to believe Ed Helms and Bradley Cooper are smart enough to realize that Mel’s involvement would have been a distraction, and it would have been extremely inappropriate. Of course, I’m still expecting The Hangover 2 to be really racist, so lets not give them too much credit.
This has just reached epic levels of awesome!
I’d well give Liam a go! Hiyadoin! hahaha
Liam Neeson should get to do anything he wants. He is an awesome man and actor. While I do not condone Mel’s behavior or racist rants, let us remember that there are two sides to every story and sometimes what we see and hear is not everything. after all, the media does tend to pick and choose the most sensationalistic aspects of any “scandalous” story that emerges, because as news consumers we have become a bunch of bottom feeders and voyeuristic pervs. Having said that I was not dismayed that Mel had gotten work because I feel that work is cathartic and necessary for us to feel useful and needed. In that same vein, Liam will benefit because his grieving process can be assuaged by work and being with friends who care for him and, did I say this earlier? he is a stellar human being and well deserving of all good things.
Well, you can’t fault them. They have a good chance at another hit. Why have it tank due to the Mel backlash?
The first Hangover movie got many rave reviews from friends and family but I thought it was a crappy movie, however perhaps Liam Neeson will improve the second one.
They are right why make the movie about Mel Gibson? I like Liam and he deserves the attention, I actually have respect for the cast now. I can’t wait to see this movie.
Not defending Mel..but Mike Tyson was a convicted rapist and did he actor protest that? NOPE..
Liam is a great actor, but he looks really bad right now.. OT but it is true. And Liam already has a girlfriend so he is not in need of work to get his mind off his lose.. this is not popular, but some rumors have said that he and Natasha were having problems when she died.. I liked them as a couple but I think that rumor is right on the money.
I don’t think this film is so morally uplifting that Mel would have ruined it. But whatever. they got some press so all is good. And it is always interesting to see who gets the ax thrown at them in Hollywood and who gets the free pass. Charlie Sheen I believe got a raise. 😕
Yes, the boys from Hangover are making such a statement. Love how it’s ok to cast Mikey Tyson with his history of violence against women (and men) but not ok to cast Mel Gibson. What’s the real difference between the two? Mel was caught on tape making racist, homophobic and misogynistic statements whereas Mike Tyson wasn’t.
Whether you think that Mel should be out of the movie or not, the director was totally unprofessional to dump him like that. Mel didn’t ask to be in Hangover 2. The director came to Mel and convinced him to do it.
I’m skeptical about the US article. The other articles all paint Zach Galif… as the guy responsible.
I’m not sure how I feel about this. As was pointed out on another site, wasn’t Mike Tyson, a convicted rapist, in the first one? Seems a little bit hypocritical.
Apologies. I should have read ahead.
OK I commented on this on the other post I agree MT is a pig but at least he went to jail and has openly talked about what an a-hole he is and his struggles with mental illness. Has Mel apologized for anything? NOPE. Mike is a pathetic man who is never going to be considered normal in general society. Mel has tons of money, power and influence in Hollywood and runs his own church. So soon after the controversy why should the Hangover 2 become the Mel Gibson comeback movie????
IDK I hate to side with Mel on this one. But I do think they should have never advertised his come back”. I think its distasteful to embarass someone like that.
About Mike Tyson, the woman beater? Cant stand him and hated him in the first film
Love Liam tho
Convicted rapist? OKey-dokey.
Guy who said some mean things—must never be seen or heard from again.
Whatever.
You people are killing me with this rapist thing BS. Mike Tyson served his time. Years ago. He has been a changed person ever since and he hasn’t gotten into any trouble in years. Mike Tyson is the crazy Mike he was in the 90s. He isn’t some serial rapist or sex offender. Get freaking real look up the case. The man has changed. He was punished and served his time. When Mike Tyson went on Oprah there was a man who had fought for his redemption and won. He is still tough Mike with his edge but as far as I can see he is nothing like he used to be. Get over it already.
The Mel Gibson thing just freaking happened. It hasn’t been a full year yet meanwhile Mike Tyson was arrested and served time years ago.
I don’t like Mel and yea he would have been a distraction and nobody wants to see this jerk have a comeback moment now. Not now, not until he has done some major ass kissing and some serious apologizing. He needs to disappear for a few years.
I think he said a little more than just “some mean things.”
Well as far as I am concerned The damage has besn done by these wanna bees so called Hollywood actors.
Talk about double standards, regarding Tyson a convicted rapist, Mel has not been convicted of anything, I though Innocent until ll proven guilty, any way it comes down to the fact these actors , if they can call them selves that were more concerned about Mel poking fun at himself and stealing the show, limelight for his cameo role.
There are a lot of people whom were going to not see the Movie because Mel was in it Now some sites are saying people are not going to see the movie because of what has happened.
Kinda funny how a majority of people are willing to forgive a Rapist, and a wife beater, but not Mel, In Mels case The evidence against him is on shaky ground. Were as On Tysons case it was all there.
Debbie
I’m laughing my ass off at all Poor Mel’s defenders. Yeah, keep trying to convince us sane folks that he’s the victim here.
Newsflash: he’s an abuser. And now he’s simply reaping what he has sown.
Mike Tyson served his time in jail, paid his debt to society and has tried and is trying to turn his life around. I don’t condone rape, but he paid for his crime, reavealed his struggles with mental illness. Mel Gibson regardless of whether or not you believe his ex’s claims, is a well known homophobe, racist, womanizer, drug addict (former use of cocaine). He has yet to come out and address allegations, and/or show contrition. My guess is The Hangover people fired him because they realized they didn’t want potential backlash or people not seeing the movie because of him. I don’t think this had anything to do with morals, if it did, the movie industry would not exist.
Mike Tyson did his time for his crime and he has also publicly admitted how bad he has treated women.
Mel Gibson – not a peep. Nothing. No shame or remorse. I hope he never works again.
Liam Neeson?! He’s history’s greatest monster!
I don’t think Mel is a victim. He doesn’t really need the money and mind you, there was no official word about Mel or from Mel’s camp, so everything to date is all gossip magazine and website speculation. If it was true, I think Mel Gibson was replaced because his quality of acting would have upstaged the collective mediocrity of Galafianakis and Bradley Cooper. But not just the quality, Mel’s notoriety would have redirected more emphasis toward him and detracted from the other actors. So they accept Liam “Zeus” because they feel more comfortable with him. C’mon, it’s not as though Neeson has won any acting awards or displays any emotions in his characters other than his own persona. He is the same in every movie he is in. Same accent (even though his characters aren’t always Scottish). As mediocre as Sean Connery. The only reason people laud Connery is because of his age. Who knows, that mediocre Gerard Butler will take the mantle for most mediocre actor after Neeson.
What surprised me is Zach Galafianakis’ hissy fit. I mean, who is he to be a diva? He doesn’t bring anything new to acting. He has the same ‘face’ or personality in each film he is in.
Kiska, as for you logic about Mel’s career and his behind the screen personality, it’s a flawed logic you use. After all, there are plenty of abusive Hollywood assholes still working. The reason they are working is because their crap has been shielded from the media. If we had to rely on your logic Kiska, then Jack Nicholson wouldn’t deserve to work either! Nor Roman Polanski. You clearly cannot distinguish art from reality in relation to acting/drama. In Hollywood where narcissism, perversion and exploitation go hand in hand, if we had to morally base our selections on the personal behaviour of every director, actor and actress, then we wouldn’t have any films to watch! So no, your argument about Mel losing this role based on his personal history, doesn’t cut it. Why doesn’t it cut it? BECAUSE HOLLYWOOD DOESN’T CARE ABOUT THE WELFARE OF WOMEN, to care about the Oksana issue. Hollywood exploits and discriminates against women on superficial grounds.
If we take Zach’s quotes about this issue, it wasn’t just about Mel’s recent wobbly, it had more to do with the remaining egos – Zach’s included. And it is about ego, because let’s face it, The Hangover is just a cheap money spinner. It’s a crap script and crap film. So yeah, I’m waiting to see what ‘official’ as opposed to BS (gossip) news comes out.
Gotta love how Mel is wearing a miraculous medal in the first pic. Sorry, won’t save you from all the s**t you’ve gotten yourself into!
@Shay — Liam hasn’t won any awards? Really? He’s a multiple Oscar and Golden Globe nominee and has won numerous critics’ and film festival awards.
His performance in Schindler’s List alone elevates him to a far higher platform than Mel Gibson, all personal issues aside.
In Hollywood, the quality of a person’s character has notoriously little to do with his or her success… but in this case, the good man won. Hands down.
I don’t think this will bother him. There’s already talk about him winning an Oscar for his role in The Beaver.
I didn’t realize that Hollywood was the great moral authority. I hope someone tapes Zach, Brad and perhaps some of the other posters, who have lead such perfect moral lives,in the privacy of their homes or on a private phone call while undergoing treatment for substance abuse. I also find it odd that Mel was married for 30 plus years with 7 kids and there was not one allegation of abuse whatsoever. So Mel turns 55 and he becomes a wife beater over night?? Mel has apologized for his incendiary remarks he made when he was drunk out of his mind several times but that I guess is not good enough for the saints of Hollywood.
What’s up with all the Mel Gibson defenders? This feels like creepy Mel/Oksana posts from TMZ.
You know, he’s not American.
Just trying to inject some balance and mercy into this lopsided argument..maybe the actor on the movie who protested witnessed domestic violence growing up? that might make him have a “hissy fit”. MT did his time, but let’s face it, that stigma never leaves you…but he did get work, so there is hope for him. Mel’s debacle is fresh in everybody’s mind and he did make a huge ass of himself; he will have to atone for the terrible things he said and did somehow. I’m not sure taking away his ability to work is the way to extract that atonement. For all we know his name was used to bring buzz to the movie and there was never any intention of hiring him. Whatever happened, Mel seems like a person who does whatever he wants to do and consequences be damned…imo,he will need to stay sober and seek therapy, because he is a man with toxic daddy issues.
I can’t believe that some people now feel bad for Mel Gibson. Are you kidding me!? Ohh poor wittle Mely. The bad actors in the movie won’t let his racist, misoynistic a** in da movie. Waaah waah. Seriously. The actors defintely did the right thing by getting him dumped from the film. I, and I’m sure many others, were NOT going to see the film if he was in it. As for as Mike Tyson goes, how do you know the actors didn’t protest his presence in the film? However, at that time all 3 were little known actors with next to no clout to get him tossed. Stop defending Mel Gibson!
@Michele do you actually think there’s a snow balls chance in hell that Hollywood is going to give Mel Gibson an Oscar? Many people believe the only reason Russel Crowe didn’t get an Oscar for a Beautiful Mind was because he cursed out a producer at an award’s show. And you think the hollywood community is going to reward an anti-semetic, racist, abuser with Hollywood’s highest prize. Seriously. Also, are you actually rooting for him to get one?
I’m with Bee on the Oscar.
I almost choked on my saliva when I read Michelle’s post.
In what parallel universe will Mel Gibson receive an Oscar for a film that is slated for DVD release after his anti-Semitic rant? Which Hollywood executive will forget that?
However, Hollywood would rather hand over Oscars to sex offenders/molesters like Roman Polanski. The hypocrisy of Hollywood.
The latest headlines in Australian newspapers concern Mel allegedly being peeved with being dumped and his anger relating to the hypocrisy of the fact that Mike Tyson is a convicted rapist. If they had to base it all on convictions, then Mel has the DUI charge, not a rape charge.
And I’m not defending Mel here, just pointing out the uber hypocrisy. Mel is a moron of the first degree. How stupid does a person have to be to burn their career to a crisp and sacrifice their marriage for gold digger punani?
YAY! I heart Liam Neeson! I thought he was AMAZING in the A Team! And I loved the first Hangover, so bring on the second!! 😀
Mel is box office poison right now, Liam is a good safe choice plus he won’t overshadow any of the other actors in this movie.
Thank you Messenger for your balanced viewpoint.
It isn’t about “defending” Mel Gibson. If you call pointing out bad behavior in Party B as a defense of Party A, you might want to work on your reading comprehension. I think the majority of the MG “defenders” are actually pointing out hypocrasy. And if you continue reading about MT, he has continued to be in trouble and has also experienced some very painful events in his life (I believe one of his young children died in a tragic accident not too long ago.)
I honestly don’t necessarily expect MG to come out with a public apology when the events surrounding him are still being litigated. Maybe he is exactly how the gossip stories frame him, I have no clue.
Probably one of the best decisions ever made, even though I haven’t seen The Hangover.
I am not on team Mel nor am I defending Mel Gibson’s behavior. I just wonder why more posters are not commenting on the hypocrisy of the director and cast who refused to work with Mel because he used the N word, insulted Jews and is alleged to have abused his ex-girlfriend. But they all would clamor to work with Roman Polanski, a rapist who drugged an under-aged girl, who plead guilty to that charge. Everyone of them would jump at a chance to star in a Woody Allen movie. A pig who married his girlfriend’s daughter and took naked pictures of her while he was still dating the girlfriend. Talk about a bunch of hypocrites. Polanski didn’t pay his debt to society! Where is your outrage at that. The part in the Hangover 2 was a cameo in which the part was offered to Mel. I have yet to see any of your rage that Charlie Sheen got no jail time for assaulting his wife. He is the highest paid actor on TV. None of his co-workers have refused to stop working with him. Why no outcry? That show’s ratings haven’t gone down. Mel Gibson is a pig but Charlie Sheen isn’t? We watch Roman Polanski & Woody Allen movies but we boycott a movie in which Mel Gibson has a cameo role? Aren’t they all the same?
crtb:
Clearly you are new here. Go to ANY post about Roman Polanski, Charlie Sheen, or Woody Allen and you will see the exact same amount of hate for them.
Also, it’s absurd to speculate about what Ed Helms or Bradley Cooper would do. You have no idea who they may or may not be “clamoring” to work with. Come on now.
I know, I know, don’t feed the trolls, but arguments that aren’t based in fact bother me.
I can’t blame them for not wanting to work with Mel, I know I wouldn’t, especially so soon after all that stuff surfaced. But I do agree there’s some hypocrisy there, with Tyson and his history – he may have served his time and might be trying to change his life, but that doesn’t mean I’d want to work with him either. Maybe it’s because it’s now a sequel, the actors have some pull on that sort of thing? I don’t know. Anyway, I can fully understand not wanting to be the Mel Gibson Comeback Vehicle.
I like Liam Neeson, and I like Ed Helms a lot so I’m happy for his success, but I didn’t think the first one was THAT hilarious, and can’t say I’ll be lining up for the sequel.
Liam Neeson is a nice choice for the sequel. I’m sure he’ll do a wonderful job.
@ Bee & Shay:
It’s on imdb.com:
http://www.imdb.com/news/ni4778073/.
And Bee, I haven’t seen the movie yet. If he does a really good job, then maybe.
The real reason for the Mel hate—The Passion. Hollywood will never forgive him for making that movie—and they can’t stand that he profited so immensely from it.
No, Lady Lurker, he’s actually just a thorough bastard.
It was well hidden from the ticket-buying public for decades, but now that we know what a prick he is, we will never go to another of his movies.
Lady:Precisely. I still remember when the Passion was released. Mel was so admired in Hollywood and then when the Passion was released he became the most hated actor/director in Hollywood. The man literally had a target on his back.
“crtb: Clearly you are new here. Go to ANY post about Roman Polanski, Charlie Sheen, or Woody Allen and you will see the exact same amount of hate for them.”
I checked the Polanski, Allen and Sheen threads and it seems like the Mel haters didn’t unload on them. So maybe crtb had a point. Sure they were bagged but not by the same people bagging Gibson.
Mel needs to know that he can’t behave like a total racist woman abusing asshole & get treated like a king wherever he goes. He can’t just pretend it never happened.